Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (2024)

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Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (7)Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (8)

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Updated 11 March 2024 at 11:53Written by Karin Engelbrecht

Masterfully weaving rich and spicy Southeast Asian flavours, Indonesian cuisine holds a special place deeply rooted in the Netherlands’ history in the former Dutch East Indies. Some restaurants still serve rijsttafel (rice table), a colonial invention that features a variety of small dishes from across the archipelago, much like a tasting menu, while others focus on Indo-Dutch home cooking, inventive fusion or authentic street food. Whether craving classic dishes or seeking innovative interpretations, our selection of the city's best Indonesian restaurants promises an unforgettable gastronomic journey steeped in tradition. Selamat makan (enjoy your meal)!

Karin Engelbrecht

After writing about all things lifestyle in Amsterdam for 15+ years, this born-and-raised South African knows where it’s at.

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Café Amoi

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The vibrant jungle-themed décor of this tributary “little sister” feels warm and inviting “My aunt, the former chef at my parents’ old-school Indonesian restaurant, does her style of home cooking here without any concessions in a setting that’s not your granny’s Indo,” explains owner Felix Ang. Must-orders include spiced mackerel lemper (sticky rice rolls), grilled sea bass in banana leaf with bumbu spice paste and an Asem Sour cocktail (bourbon, tamarind, vanilla, lime and cardamom bitters).

Café Amoi | Kinkerstraat 53A, Oud-West

Purnama Kitchen & Bar

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (16)Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (17)

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Weirdly, this hidden treasure is the only Indonesian restaurant in the Indische buurt, a neighbourhood named for the former East Indies. “Here, we take things a step further with the kinds of dishes that you’ll find at restaurants in Indonesia, like grilled beef spare ribs with kemiri nut sauce,” explains owner, Felix Ang. Do order those ribs, the beef curry-stuffed martabak pancake and anything with the house peanut sauce (possibly the city’s best!). The fried fish dumplings are particularly good. There are cocktails, wines and local craft beers, too.

Purnama | Javastraat 55H, Oost

Restaurant Blauw

At this popular eatery near Vondelpark, everything’s made with recipes that go back at least two generations. Vegetarian, meat and fish rijsttafels (around €52.50 pp) are served in sleek vessels against a chilli red backdrop refreshingly free of folkloristic clichés. Highlights include flame-grilled goat satay, fragrant daging rendang (spicy braised beef with coconut), and chef Hendra Subandrio’s signature tahu peteh (fried spicy tofu with peteh beans).

Restaurant Blauw | Amstelveenseweg 158-160, Zuid

Café Jakarta

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (18)Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (19)

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Built on the quay where, until the mid-20th century, immigrants would arrive after a long voyage from Indonesia, Hotel Jakarta’s in-house restaurant has plenty going for it: an impressive energy-neutral subtropical-inspired interior, a prime location on the tip of Java-Eiland with a 100-seater waterside terrace and the best twist on spekkoek. Javanese chef Rendy Reanaldy’s version isn’t as firm as the traditional spiced cake: the delicate layers are interspersed with vanilla-coconut cream and served with stewed pineapple, lime sorbet, pandan ice cream and a pineapple crisp. Even the club sandwiches and omelettes are infused with Indonesian flavours, and the lobster comes with sambal mayo. Or try the Table Jakarta rijsttafel (around €40 pp) for a gentle introduction to Indonesian flavours.

Café Jakarta | Javakade 766, Oostelijke Eilanden

Warna Baru

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You’re not bound to a gut-busting rijsttafel at this convivial next-gen neighbourhood eatery, where you’ll find all the classics a la carte, from perkedel jagung (corn fritters with sweet chilli sauce) and tofu pangsit (fried dumplings) to properly spicy chilli-lemon leaf chicken drumsticks and outstanding daging rendang. There are Indo-themed cocktails too, like mango negronis and coconut espresso martinis, as well as natural wines and beers.

Warna Baru | Jan Pieter Heijestraat 137, Oud-West

Blue Pepper Restaurant & Candlelight Cruises

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (26)Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (27)

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Founding chef Sonja Pereira’s (vegan) rijsttafels (from around €49) and a la carte options combine influences from her native West Java with a light, modern touch and beautiful presentation. If a canal cruise is on your Amsterdam bucket list (as it should be!), Blue Pepper’s candlelight cruise, for groups of eight or more, is a tasty way to cross that item off while enjoying “a royal feast”.

Blue Pepper | Nassaukade 366, Oud-West

Sampurna

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Founded over 35 years ago, this Canal District classic on the Flower Market keeps going strong. Its a la carte offerings and rijsttafels (from €27.50) celebrate old family recipes in a gilded interior that pays subtle homage to Indonesian culture. Highlights include chilli braised beef and goat satay as well as fresh and fluffy spekkoek, the best traditional take we’ve tasted in town.

Sampurna | Singel 498, Centrum

Ron Gastrobar Indonesia

Javanese chef Agus Hermawan’s cooking encompasses a rich tapestry of traditional offerings as well as creative contemporary twists on popular street foods, such as wonton wrapper tacos with Balinese chicken and pani puri (crispy deep-fried pastry pockets) stuffed with steak tartare and chilli-lime sambal. Of course, the old-style rijsttafels (from €38 pp), the house espresso martini with spekkoek-flavoured liqueur and an awesome Amstel river-facing terrace are equally compelling reasons to make a pilgrimage to the charming village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Apparently, Barack Obama is a fan.

Ron Gastrobar Indonesia | Amstelzijde 51, Amstelveen

Kafé Kontrast

Swedish chef Ellinor Strinnholm combines her Le Cordon Bleu training with work experience at French and Scandinavian Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and Malmö and inspiration gleaned from travels in Jakarta, Borneo, Sumatra and the mountains of Bali to create a casual melting pot of cultures where you can brunch on the weekend or dine on grilled beef satay skewers with Padang-style sauce, caramelized pandan-leaf infused bread pudding and housemade lemongrass and chilli schnapps.

Kafé Kontrast | Ceintuurbaan 71, De Pijp

Restaurant Max

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (30)Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (31)

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Conveniently located in the Western Canal Belt, this perennially packed rijsttafel specialist offers traditional, fusion and milder options (from €39) so you can simply relax and enjoy your meal without worrying about what to order. The crispy vegetable salad with chicken satay is a good twist on tradition. Oenophile and owner Max Lumankun’s carefully curated wine list matches the complex flavours of his Indonesian cuisine. The service here is excellent, too.

Restaurant Max | Herenstraat 14, Centrum

Karin Engelbrecht

After writing about all things lifestyle in Amsterdam for 15+ years, this born-and-raised South African knows where it’s at.

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (32)

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Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam (2024)

FAQs

Best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam | I amsterdam? ›

It was also a great way of impressing visitors and showing off the culinary wealth of their colonial empire. It took off in Amsterdam post-World War II when thousands of Indonesians migrated to the city; and since they knew the Dutch loved their rijsttafel, they set up the restaurants you see all over the city today.

Why is there so much Indonesian food in Amsterdam? ›

It was also a great way of impressing visitors and showing off the culinary wealth of their colonial empire. It took off in Amsterdam post-World War II when thousands of Indonesians migrated to the city; and since they knew the Dutch loved their rijsttafel, they set up the restaurants you see all over the city today.

What food is a must in Amsterdam? ›

Here are the best Amsterdam foods everyone should try.
  • Stroopwafel. Taste Netherlands' popular sweet treat. ...
  • Bitterballen. Try deep-fried meatballs. ...
  • See also. 10 Best Parks in Amsterdam. ...
  • Dutch pancakes. Enjoy specialty pancakes. ...
  • Raw herring. Try Amsterdam's Infamous Fish. ...
  • Cheese. Enjoy classic Dutch delicacies. ...
  • Poffertjes. ...
  • Snert.

Is Indonesian food common in the Netherlands? ›

Indonesian ingredients like boemboe, sambal and ketjap can be found at nearly every Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. The Indonesian influence is also visible in Dutch-Indonesian fusion foods like patat met satesaus and chicken saté on many cafe menus.

What is a rijsttafel dinner? ›

In English, rijsttafel translates to “rice table.” It is both a meal and style of eating that can feature up to forty Indonesian dishes from across the archipelago served simultaneously to families or small groups.

Do you tip in Amsterdam? ›

This one is pretty simple to answer – the Dutch do not have a tipping culture as strongly-ingrained as much of the English-speaking world. In a bar, restaurant, or private boat tour in Amsterdam, provided the service was good, a tip of around 10% is appreciated but not automatically expected.

Why did Netherlands want Indonesia? ›

The colonization of Indonesia, which was clearly motivated by Dutch economic interests in the Spice trade, was portrayed as a “civilizing mission.” This was supported by the ideology that Indonesians were primitive and backwards and that the Dutch could civilize and modernize them.

What is the most eaten food in the Netherlands? ›

Traditional Dutch food is meat and potato or fish based for dinner and bread and cheese based for everything else. Beef stew and stamppot are two of the more common, hearty Dutch meals. Raw herring and other North Sea fishes are commonly consumed as well.

What is Amsterdam signature dish? ›

Haring 'Hollandse Nieuwe'

Haring or 'Hollandse Nieuwe' (Dutch new herring) is probably the most famous Dutch food. If you like fish you should at least try it once. The raw herring is served together with chopped raw onions and gherkins. Also the way of eating is a real Dutch tradition.

What time do people eat dinner in Amsterdam? ›

Dutch dinner

The Dutch eat relatively early starting from 5 to 7 p.m., families mostly eat together around the dinner table. A typical Dutch dinner meal consists of potatoes, meat and vegetables, served with gravy. Dinner is often followed by a dessert in the form of yogurt or coffee.

What Dutch food is inspired by Indonesia? ›

Klappertaart, which means coconut cake that is originated from Manado, becomes a favorite dessert because it tastes sweet and savory. In the colonialism period, the Dutch realized that Indonesians had a very large number of coconut farms. The Dutch women experimented with young coconut meat in their tart recipe.

What are 3 traditional foods of Indonesia? ›

Here are 40 dishes we just can't live without.
  • Sambal. While technically more of a condiment, the chili-based sauce known as sambal is a staple at all Indonesian tables. ...
  • Satay. These tasty meat skewers cook up over coals so hot they need fans to waft the smoke away. ...
  • Bakso. ...
  • Soto. ...
  • Nasi goreng. ...
  • Gado-gado. ...
  • Nasi uduk. ...
  • Nasi padang.

What are the most popular Indonesian foods? ›

Don't leave Indonesia before You Get a Taste of These 12 Favorite Local Foods
  1. 1 | Nasi Goreng. Nasi Goreng means Fried Rice. ...
  2. 2 | Sate.
  3. 3 | Soto. Another food that can be found in almost every place in Indonesia is Soto or Soup. ...
  4. 4 | Gado-gado.
  5. 5 | Rendang.
  6. 6 | Bakso.
  7. 7 | Mie Ayam.
  8. 8 | Batagor.

Why is Indonesian food in Amsterdam? ›

Thanks to the shared history between the two countries (the Dutch colonized Indonesia for almost 350 years), Indonesian food remains highly popular in the Netherlands.

Is Indonesian food spicy? ›

Indonesian dishes have rich flavours; most often described as savory, hot and spicy, and also combination of basic tastes such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

Are there any Dutch left in Indonesia? ›

Over a 15-year period after the Republic of Indonesia became an independent state, virtually the entire Dutch population, Indische Nederlanders (Dutch Indonesians), estimated at between 250,000 and 300,000, left the former Dutch East Indies. Most of them moved to the Netherlands. Many had never been there before.

Why are there many Indonesians in Netherlands? ›

Between 1945 and '65 around 300,000 Dutch, Mollucans and Indo people, the descendants of mixed Dutch and Indonesian parents, left Indonesia for the Netherlands. The majority arrived around the time of Indonesia's struggle for independence in the second half of the 1940s.

Why is there so much Thai food in Amsterdam? ›

There are many great Amsterdam Thai restaurants scattered throughout the city, thanks to Amsterdam's large Thai population. By far the highest concentration of them is in the area around Nieuwmarkt just north of the Red Light District, what is known as Amsterdam's Chinatown.

Why is there so much Argentinian food in Amsterdam? ›

Much of this comes from the cattle being grass-fed as opposed to grain-fed which is more popular in America. It therefore makes sense for restaurant owners to (undeservedly) claim the “Argentinean” label to boost their prestige.

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